BEWARE! WhatsApp video on how to track Rs 2,000 notes via GPS is fake

Ever since the massive step of demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and introduction of Rs 2,000 notes by the Indian government has made headlines, there are many rumours about the Rs 2,000 note incorporating a hidden nano GPS chip are being circulated. In a new such case, a video has been circulating around on WhatsApp which shows a person demonstrating how one can track the Rs 2,000 note using Google Maps via the alleged GPS tracker inside each note.

Do note that the video is a complete fake. The person in the video shows how one can enter the details (serial number) of the Rs 2,000 note in Google Maps on his phone and Google Maps located his note just 200 metres from where he was. He also continues to mention that the location was not completely updates and what Google Maps pointed out was the location of the bank ATM where he withdrew the note. He also mentions that the location was not updated as yet, but did go ahead to say that the location would be soon updated and he would make another video on the same when the location is updated.

The video shows him entering the currency’s serial number and hitting the search button and Google Maps pointed out the ATM from where he withdrew the note. He might have either saved the ATM’s location on the map with the details of the note’s serial number on his map, which will point out the location every time he searches for the serial number.

You can watch the fake video below:

Another video was being circulated on WhatsApp earlier which showed a person helping one get more information about this tracker. In that video, he goes to mention that the government has been updating the chip within the notes and the banks are feeding this chip with details such as the person’s PAN card, photo and address. He says that if this note goes in wring hands, your identity is at risk. He also goes ahead to show how one can remove this chip by keeping the Rs 2,000 note in the ‘top shelf of the freezer, inside the refrigerator’ for ’30 minutes,’ which then exposes the ‘nano chip’ and one can remove it. Please note that the chip is not present, and if you follow the steps, you could end up destroying the currency.

You can watch the fake video below:

Also read: No nano-GPS tracking chip on Rs 2,000 note: RBI

Earlier reports and rumours mentioned that the new notes carried the NGC (Nano GPS Chip) by the government in order to trace black money being hoarded in large quantities. The rumour also says that the notes can be tracked using satellites and can be detected even if they were buried 120 metres below the ground.

Do note: The new Rs 2,000 notes do not have any GPS trackers inside the material. The RBI has not mentioned any details about the so-called NGC chips in the notes. The RBI did mention that the notes are ‘high-security’ currency, which means that the new denominations will be impossible to duplicate. An RBI sporkesperson was also reported to mention to the media that the ‘satellite tracking technology’ does not exist in the world and there is no way that the RBI can implement the same on the new notes. If the technology did exist, it would be pretty expensive, more than the material used for manufacturing the notes itself.

Rumours of the chip-enabled currency notes surfaced immediately after PM Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes and replaced by the new, high-security Rs 2,000 notes.